I got up very early on my first night in Spain- around 6:30, I think. I just couldn’t sleep. I had no food of course except for candy and cookies I had brought from my homeland. To my surprise, all of the grocery stores were closed. “What the heck?!” I thought. It was almost seven and there was no sign of any workers even preparing for opening.
Being forced to eat out, I finally found a little coffee shop/bakery (called a cafeterÃa or panaderÃa). I bought a chocolate donut and milk. When I ordered the milk, I assumed the lady would pull a cold pint out of a refrigerator. I had never seen it served any other way at a donut shop. Instead the lady served me steaming hot milk in a glass. It wasn’t what I had in mind, but at least I was able to sort of make hot chocolate with the little piece of chocolate that came with the milk.
After breakfast, I walked back to the grocery store. I thought it had to be open by eight o’clock. Most people are out of bed and their way to work already, at least in the United States. No such luck. There were lights on, but it was still closed. I continued to walk around not knowing what else to do with myself and always staying on one street so I don’t get lost. Many stores did not have any hours posted. What’s up with that? Do they just go to work whenever they feel like it? That would be a really sweet job!
Most everything in Spain seems to be more relaxed. I think people trust each other more. My cab driver at the airport didn’t ask me to show that I had cash; he just drove. I fully expected to have to pay for the container of cinnamon I accidentally dropped on the floor at a grocery store, but they didn’t care. They let me take another one, and they were not annoyed or upset at all. After I ordered a sandwich in Olite last week, I stayed by the counter so I could pay for it. I felt a little awkward when woman just stood back. After a month, I still hadn’t figure out that you pay for food after you get it, even in a very casual place. I’ve been in class for over a month, and I still haven’t registered for my classes. You guys at UF are already registering for the spring.
I can go on and on about examples of the relaxed nature of Spanish life. Everything opens later and closes earlier. There’s a “siesta” that falls somewhere between 2:00 and 4:30. It’s great for the workers, but not so great if you’re an American accustomed to getting whatever you want whenever you want it. I’ve adjusted by now, but it was a real pain in the butt at first.
